The ARMAGEDDONIA ANARCHISTS were created October 13, 1997 and they will compete in the Cosmic Underleague during the 1998 season.

The ANARCHIST players consist of men and women who had some direct or indirect connection with the anarchist social and political movement of the 19th and 20th Centuries.

The dream of a stateless society, devoid of any authority remains a utopian vision for many social philosophers and individuals curious about how to make a better way of life. The perception during the initial stages of the industrial revolution that somehow man was going against nature is a perception still very much in view as we transition from the industrial to the so-called post-industrial era.

The anarchist movement believed that the demolition of the patriarchal/matriarchal system of authority was necessary to set things right. Abolish government, abolish private property, and let individuals live according to their own self-imposed, freely arranged moral codes.

Bakunin claimed that religion and government were the eternal enemies of freedom. Kropotkin advocated the destruction of all government and the liberation of the worker from the employer. Proudhon, the "father" of modern anarchism claimed: La propriete c'est le vol ("property is theft").

The question for us, standing on the edge of the 21st century is: can the state be abolished? Or is it too late? Has human hubris made us too greedy? The capitalist clock keeps on ticking as we punch in and punch out, day after day. The anarchists provide a vision of an ideal. Unrealistic as that "ideal" is, it reminds us that human beings must learn to connect, freely, openly, equally if we are to repair the damage our unrestrained greed has wrought.

Born to an upper middle class family in China. Studied 18th Century French social history in Paris. Translated Kropotkin into Chinese. Novels include The Destruction (1929) and The Family (1931). Ba Jin was purged during the Cultural Revolution (1966) and resurrected in 1977.

Born into an aristocratic family. Met Karl Marx in Paris but the two social thinkers didn't get along. Bakunin formed the International Alliance for social Democracy and joined the First International in 1868. A philosophical split between the Marxists and Bakunin anarchists occurred in 1872. Bakunin advocated mass organization of the working class, collectivism and he was vehemently anti-state. Bakunin spent 8 years in solitary confinement in Russia.

Born into a prosperous Russian family. Came to the United States in 1887 and lived in New York City. Spent 20 years in jail for the attempted assassination of Henry Clay Frick. Berkman was a lifelong friend and colleague of Emma Goldman.

Daughter of a popular and controversial Italian anarchist, Ms. Berneri followed in her father's footsteps. She became well-traveled in the international anarchist circles. In 1945, with four other comrades, she was put on trial charged with inciting disaffection during the war. She got off on a technicality but her fervor for anarchism did not abate. Her works include Neither East Nor West and Journey Through Utopia

Son of Russian immigrants who were politically active during the Russian Revolution, Bookchin has spent the last 50 years involved in American radical politics. From his early labor organizing experience to his involvement in the New Left of the 1960s to his pioneering the idea of "social ecology" his influence has been significant. Much of the political emphasis of the various "green" movements of the 1980s and 1990s have their origin in Bookchin's ideas. His works include: Our Synthetic Environment (1962, written under the pseudonym Lewis Herber), Ecology of Freedom (1982), and Reenchanting Humanity (1996). Bookchin lives and works in Vermont.

Emma Goldman said of the French-American Ms. DeCleyre, "she is the most gifted and brilliant anarchist woman in America..." Born in Michigan she was named after the French writer Voltaire. She became a major spokeswoman for the anarchist movement and counted among her colleagues Kropotkin, Malatesta, Michel and Berkman She wrote Anarchism and American Traditions.

Member of the Chicago Free society Group and an active organizer in the International Workers of the World (IWW). Works include: Ethics and American Unionism (1958), The Labor Party Illusion (1961), The Cuban Revolution: A Critical Perspective (1974), A Critique of Marxism (1983) and the autobiographical Fragments (1986).

The model used for the "Rebel Lady" in the song by Joe Hill. She joined the International Workers of the World (IWW) in 1907 and helped found the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1920. In the 1950s she spent 28 months in jail as a political prisoner. Works include: Sabotage (1915), My Life as a Political Prisoner (1963) and The Rebel Girl (1973).

Dynamic activist and crusader for the anarchist cause. Came to the United States in 1886 and first settled in Rochester, New York. Exhausting factory work and an unhappy marriage led to her getting a divorce and moving to New York City. In New York she became very politically active. She advocated birth control and championed women's rights. Works include: Anarchism and Other Essays, and Living My Life.

Goodman's influence on the radical New Left movement in the 1960s is significant. A radical anarchist pacifist Goodman believed society's institutions block human beings from being creative, caring and free. He supported personal and sexual freedom for men and women and advocated nonviolent social change. Work includes Growing Up Absurd (1960).

Founded the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and was a major influence on American radical politics. Clarence Darrow defended Haywood when he was accused of murder in 1906. In 1921 he was convicted of sedition for his opposition to the United States' involvement in World War I. After his conviction he fled to Russia (USSR) where he died.

Joe Hill's real name was Joel Emmanuel Hagglund. He was a labor organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). He also wrote union songs like "Casey Jones", "Rebel Girl" and "The Union Scab." He became somewhat of martyr after his execution by a Utah firing squad. He had been convicted of murder. The night before his execution he apparently sent a telegram to Bill Haywood saying: "Don't waste any time mourning. Organize."

Born into an aristocratic Russian family. Joined the International in 1872. A geographer by training, Kropotkin elected to pursue his interest in social injustice and political change instead of a career in science. His belief in the concept of "mutual aid" as a superior to the authority of the state made him a leading anarchist theorist. His works include: The Conquest of Bread, Fields, Factories and Workshops, Mutual Aid, and the unfinished Ethics.

Magon is considered one of the most important and influential anarchists in the history of Mexico. He fought against the Mexican dictator Porfino Diaz. He met and was influenced by the Russian-born American anarchist Emma Goldman. Eventually arrested by American authorities under espionage laws he died in the military prison at Fort Leavenworth.

Makhno is considered one of the most militant and violent of the anarchists. Considered a good military tactician he fought against both the capitalists and the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution (1917).

Born into a wealthy Italian family, Malatesta used his wealth in support of his political beliefs. Influenced by Bakunin, Malatesta believed that anarchy could be brought about by the use of three tactics: direct action, land seizure, and the general strike. He became a leading proponent of communist-anarchism. Kropotkin described Malatesta as "always in the hottest of the struggle."

Son of a working class family. Considered one of the major philosophers of anarchism. In 1840 Proudhon wrote What Is Property which advocated the abolition of all personal property to be replaced by a collective use of material wealth. Initially Prouhon and Karl Marx were in agreement with regard to their political philosophies. however, Marx ultimately attacked and rejected Proudhon's ideas, such as direct democracy and "mutualism.". Works include: System of Economic Contradictions or the Philosophy of Poverty, and Confessions of a Revolutionary.

Along with Vanzetti Sacco was executed on August 27, 1927 for the murder of a shoe factory paymaster in Massachusetts. Sacco, who arrived in the United States from Italy in 1908 and Vanzetti became a focal point for the middle class' distrust of radical politics. Their trial and execution received international attention and became a rallying point for many radical groups.

Along with Sacco, Vanzetti was executed on August 27, 1927 for the murder of a shoe factory paymaster in Massachusetts. During his incarceration, the mostly self-educated Vanzetti wrote letters and articles that did much to encourage support for his cause.

There is some mystery about Ms. Parsons' birth, but recent speculation suggests she may have been a slave in Texas. She came to Chicago in 1873 and became involved in that city's labor politics. She wrote about the homeless and unemployed, helped found the International Working Peoples Association (IWPA) and was a staunch advocate for civil rights. She joined the Communist Party in 1939. Her husband, Albert Parsons, was implicated in the Haymarket Square bombing and was hung to death in 1886.

Trained as a clergyman, Godwin was the first writer to express anarchist theories. Although he was against marriage he first lived and then married Mary Wollstonecraft. He was decidedly nonviolent in his approach to social change. Works include: Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, and a social justice novel called Caleb Williams.

The Cosmic Baseball Association would like to thank Professor Dana Ward for creating and maintaining the Anarchist Archive. Many of the cosmic player links on this plate will take you to Professor Ward's website. His archive contains biographical, bibliographical, and regular graphical material about a variety of individuals related to anarchy and anarchism.

The ARMAGEDDONIA ANARCHIST's logo was designed by Audrey Weiss and was adapted from an undated and uncredited poster in the artist's files.

Research for the Pre-ramble was conducted by a team of Cosmic Baseball Research Alliance (COBRA) scholars.